Swami says, “You are here going through sentences from courts for delinquencies. Let me tell you that all men are undergoing sentences for long or short periods, with simple or hard labor, to atone for misdemeanors and crimes done by them in past lives. Every fall makes a dent; every fault has to be corrected; every sin has to be cleansed. Every one is a prisoner.” – SSS-V.12

Prisoner-Mentor Selfless Service Project

Devotees from the South Bethesda, MD, Fairfax, VA, and Washington, DC Sai Centers received training as volunteer mentors from Thresholds, a non-profit organization that teaches decision-making skills to interested prison inmates or newly-released prisoners. The two-day program covered the six steps that go into making a decision: defining the situation, setting goals, evaluating the possibilities for reaching the goal, and techniques for staying focused until the goal is achieved. A person’s self-image in relation to society strongly influences their actions. Successful problem solving and decision-making enhances self-esteem, facilitating successful re-entry into society.

Most prison inmates have never learned how to make good decisions. Usually, they have allowed or been forced to let others make decisions for them, thus giving up control over their lives. This leads to low self-esteem and low self-worth; each poor decision reinforces these feelings. Importantly, most inmates have never learned to take responsibility for their actions because they have never learned the thought process that precedes a decision to act. Thus, they make choices or take actions without thinking of the consequences, ending up in jail. Until recently, program offerings in the jails did not give inmates the tools they need to change the way they react, so once they were released, they would repeat the same behaviors, and wind up back in jail. Over 80% of released prison inmates return to jail over and over again. The decision-making program has significantly reversed this trend.

Mentoring was held at the offices of a non-profit, Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources of Fairfax County (OAR). OAR brings mentors into the local Fairfax County, Virginia jail. Devotee mentors met once a week with their assigned clients for one to two hours for 7-10 weeks. During that time the mentor and client cover the six steps outlined in the guide. Upon completing the program, each client is awarded a “Certificate of Achievement.”

One devotee commented, “The mentor training process brought out many important aspects of decision-making that I took for granted and that I didn’t necessarily do myself. For example, when trying to reach a goal, it emphasizes developing possibilities by accumulating information, brainstorming, and then reflecting on unique approaches and new combinations of ideas. It then specifies the importance of evaluating the possibilities based on desirability, risk, and impact on others. While doing all this, it warns against jumping to conclusions, doing things the same old way, and basing decisions on myths or fallacies. Gaining this knowledge through the training program made me realize that the ability to make decisions is indeed a very important skill to have and that it can make or break someone’s life. The training process strengthened my belief in Swami’s teaching that we should do our part with making decisions in our life but leave the results up to Him.”

“My first client was a newly released prisoner looking for guidance and a way to change his life for the better. Swami had put me in a position where I could use my training and abilities to help someone who really needed it. And in this process, Swami was building confidence in me and also making me improve the way I make decisions in my life. The mentoring seva also helped me develop the qualities of compassion and humility. It made me realize how fortunate I am to have the life, family, and friends that I have, and how I can use that to reach out to others, helping in any small way that I can. The most profound impact I felt, however, was that I slowly began to feel a sense of connection and unity with my client. Even though he was so different from me in almost every way, I began to see the inherent Divinity within him. It was a feeling that is beyond description.”

The devotee concluded, “Our mentoring sessions are now over and I have since heard that my client is doing very well and making positive decisions. The whole experience was a very valuable one for me and made me realize that yet again, Swami knew what was best for me and my client and gave us what we needed the most for our spiritual growth.”

Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) Program for At Risk Young Adults and Adults

Decision-making is just one of many tools that prison inmates need to successfully re-enter society. While we were involved in the mentoring project, OAR was in the process of beginning a re-entry program, The Beacon. The Beacon’s mission is “to enable the formerly incarcerated to become productive members of society by supporting them in building and sustaining a community and a business through which they develop the skills and values needed for success in life.” The Beacon is a two-year program, with 6 new men becoming a part of it every 6 months. Participants live in a communal environment once released from prison, and take classes and job training which provide these skills and values. One of the volunteers discussed the principles of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) with the Beacon Program Director, who then expressed an interest. After the volunteer contacted the Regional SSEHV Coordinator, a proposal to do an SSEHV project was developed and approved by the SSEHV Foundation of the USA, after which a presentation was made to the Board of OAR. The Regional SSEHV Coordinator and the (now) project director have develop lesson plans for a weekly one hour class. Lessons focus on those values and qualities that would be the most important for these men to reclaim their lives and achieve the longed for success --- human values like self-esteem, self-discipline, equanimity, responsibility, unity, cooperation, etc.

As part of the SSEHV lesson plan format, we find relevant quotes, stories, activities, and songs that will touch their hearts as well as emphasize the lesson’s value and human quality. Who knew the poignant stories circulating on the web would come in so handy??? The one component that we were most cautious with was silent sitting/tuning in. We could not be sure if these men would trust us and each other enough to close their eyes and give themselves the space to be taken through this process. But our Beloved Swami ensured that this would not be an issue. We waited until the fourth class to build up a level of trust, and then led them through Phyllis Krystal’s wonderful “Figure 8” visualization. At the end of this visualization, you are supposed to picture yourself forgiving somebody, and that person forgiving you. After the students opened their eyes, one of the students shared the following: “I pictured the other person getting out of his chair, walking over to me, and giving me a hug.” Thank you Swami. We have since introduced the Light Meditation, and have the students practicing this every day.

There have been other moments that underscore the amazing impact that Swami and the SSEHV program is having on their lives. One student shared the following: he had received a letter that made him angry, and his initial reaction was either to write a nasty letter in reply, or call the person and give them a piece of his mind. Instead, he realized that the only person that would be hurt by this would be himself. He decided to accept the letter, not let it affect his mood, and went about his business. Another student described the warm feeling he got when he helped a fellow inmate. One of the lessons that we constantly teach is that all of the human values and qualities are already inside of them; SSEHV is just making them aware of this.

Our initial three students have been in and out of prison many times, and they realized that they needed to learn different ways to react and respond to life’s events. The experience of working with these inmates has been incredibly spiritually uplifting. We have felt Swami’s presence in each class, as the students begin to understand what it means to listen to their hearts, to respect that little “voice” inside of them, and to begin to trust and work with others. Every time we see a “light bulb” go off, we thank Swami for allowing us to be His instruments in touching the lives and hearts of these men, and for allowing these men to touch our lives and hearts. Thank you Swami, for being in our lives, for calling us to You, and for giving us this opportunity.